http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/blog/?p=23057 Check out an Earnie Shavers interview. Interesting his take on the Jeff Merritt incident.
Ten daughters and one son........oy. How would you like to be the young man to come calling for one of his girls?
But Earnie has 24 grandchildren, while I don't know that Foreman has any by his seven daughters. According to a huge number of reports though, Shavers has a sweet southern rural farm boy disposition, while George is a rather nasty character away from public exposure. (In person, Tyson's also reported to be easy going and friendly with fans, while Holyfield's reportedly in a perpetual roid rage.)
Oh I have no doubt that Foreman's an a$$, and Holyfield seems a bit surly too, but who knows. I do remember asn interview I read of Larry Holmes, where Larry related a poker game he and Shavers and some other sparring partners participated in. There was some dispute over whom had proper rights to the pot of money for a particular hand, and Shavers took it in his big paw and said something along the lines of "This is mine. If anyone thinks it's rightfully theirs.......come get it." Then he looked up with that baleful glare of his. No one, Larry included, moved a muscle. I have no doubt Earnie could scare the **** out of any smart-azz young kid he thought was getting fresh with his daughter.
I'm sure $$$ had nothing to do with that. Frazier was known for his shameless ducks and not taking on challenges.
Shavers was a nobody while Frazier was champion. His first big win was against Ellis, which was after Frazier had lost to Foreman. He followed up by getting KO'd in one round by Quarry and then getting out-pointed by someone called Bob Stallings, who had more losses than wins. He wasn't a factor in the division again until about 77, at which point Frazier was retired anyway.
I'm betting if there was a meaningful reason to fight Shavers he would done it gladly. Shavers wasn't rated high enough during Joe's competive years.
If that's true,I can't say that I'm really surprised. Foreman in the 70s cut such a surly mean figure with a air of menace about him,both in and out of the ring that you wondered whether he could have totally changed his personality so much during the time between his first retirement and 80s comeback or whether he just kept it under the surface?